1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a tool for an optical connector that is used in an optical connector having a mechanism for holding a pair of optical fibers in an abutted and optically connected state by clamping the optical fibers.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, an optical connector that allows carrying out the operation of the attachment of distal ends of optical fibers at a connection site outside a factory has been known. For example, there is an optical connector that includes a ferrule in which an optical fiber is housed in advance and polished at a distal end surface thereof, and a clamping portion disposed at the back (the position opposite to the distal end surface) of the ferrule. The optical fiber housed in the ferrule and another optical fiber to be connected are abutment connected in the clamping portion by clamping these optical fibers in half split elements of the clamping portion to maintain the abutment connected state, and enabling the assembly of the optical connector in a short time. Because the size of the clamping portion is small, a dedicated tool that carries out the opening and closing of the elements (an optical connector assembling tool) has been proposed (refer, for example, to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2002-23006 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2002-55259).
However, it is necessary that the optical connector attachment tool having the structure described above be precisely formed so that a wedge that has undergone high precision processing can be correctly inserted and released between the small-sized elements in order to realize the operation of the clamping portion of the optical connector, and thus there is a problem in that cost reductions are difficult. In addition, in the clamping portion described above, a comparatively great effort is required in both the insertion and release of the wedge in the elements due to the clamping force of a spring that imparts a clamping force to the elements, and thus there are problems in that downsizing and cost reductions are difficult. With regard to size, the optical connector assembling tool described above may also encounter a problem in that the optical connector assembling tool cannot be inserted in a narrow operation space such as a device casing. In addition, when a connector is to be attached to a distal end of an optical fiber using the optical connector assembling tool disposed outside a device casing, there may be disadvantage in that it is necessary that the extra extraction length for extracting the optical fiber from the device casing be guaranteed.